COMDDAP 2006 a success

Despite the staging of simultaneous big events in Cebu last week, the 8th Computer Manufacturers, Distributors and Dealers Association of the Philippines or COMDDAP 2006 exhibition held at SM City Trade Hall attracted quality visitors for the three-day event.

"For Cebu its better that many things are happening, it is good for the economy. We are not affected at all many events happening at the same time, in fact, we attracted the quality visitors to the show," said COMDDAP president Juan G. Chua.

He said the 26 big IT companies which participated the exhibition, which filled the entire 1,800 square meters of exhibit space at SM City Trade Hall, reported encouraging sales performance, even in the first two days of the show.

The 8th COMDDAP exhibition in the Cebu, opened last week on June 22, at the same time another Information Communication Technology (ICT) Congress and Exhibit opened at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino as one of the events of the Cebu Business Month's "InTourPrenuer 2006."

"For us what matters most is the quality visitors, not the quantity," said Chua. COMDDAP vice president Salvador Lastrilla said because the show is held in the mall, consumer traffic is always assured.

However, instead of quantity, the show attracted the interested IT products and services buyers, and those Cebuanos who wanted to be updated in the newest trends in technology visited exhibitors. The technology vendors featured and offered lower prices of the latest computer hardware, software and peripherals, a wide range of convergent technologies and consumer electronic products and gadgets.

The good feedback of exhibitors during the three-day show, despite the ongoing big events happening in Cebu at the same time, proved that Cebu is capable of hosting simultaneous big events and still attract sizeable number of participants, or visitors.

Besides, Chua said COMDDAP 2006 was organized a year ahead and the biggest IT companies, and manufacturers were already committed to join.

Chua dismissed impressions that the ICT Congress and exhibition which was also opened at the same day COMDDAP 2006 was opened in SM Trade Hall, had affected the show's performance.

According to Chua, COMDDAP agreed to hold its show in the month of June, as the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) asked them to move the holding of the show from July to June to coincide with the Business Month events.

Cebu, which is the educational center in the Southern Philippines, is a good venue for technology companies to showcase latest products, as university students now are one of the largest revenue contributors or significant market for ICT products.

Also, Cebuanos are also fast transforming into a techno-gadget savvy market, wherein consumers are demanding for the advance and latest gadgets.

"COMDDAP serves as a channel to link between the consumers and the technology providers and vendors. To update the market with the latest in technology," Lastrilla said. COMDDAP is held in Cebu once every two years.- Ehda M. Dagooc